Tuesday, 26 July 2011

Stop by the Recital Theatre at Keyano College at 7pm to catch the artist talk given by local artist, Carli Gaudet. Carli is one of five participants in the Municipal Artist in Residency Program, her talk is the second in a series of five Talks presented in partnership with Keyano College.

The 20min Talk will start at 7pm and will be followed by a short question and answer period, at which time residents can get to know Carli a little better. Stick around after the Talk for refreshments and a networking opportunity.

If you live in any prairie province in western Canada, you probably are very familiar with large rectangular buildings, towering over small towns and communities known as grain elevators. These magnificent buildings have become historic icons; a glimpse of days gone by. Just as the grain elevators stand as symbols of the prairies, I can’t think of a better coastal icon then a lighthouse.

There are hundreds of lighthouses situated along the shores of Canada and most are in desperate need of improvements and protection. As a fellow east coaster who is proud to call Alberta home, the thought of loosing these landmarks is truly heartbreaking.

In 2008, a Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act was created, promising to provide Canada’s federally owned lighthouses protection that included heritage designation, maintenance and alterations and to ensure a continued public purpose. The act was passed in 2010, but with many stipulations that didn’t represent what was presented in 2008, slightly changing the document into the opposite of its original intentions to preserve and utilize the lighthouses.

Many communities are now working together to save their lighthouses by realigning the purpose of these buildings to a more community based one. Struggling with funding, supplies and volunteers, communities feel the strain but persevere to succeed in converting the lighthouses into useful tourist attractions. The town of Ferryland, NL has transformed their lighthouse into a summer picnic and café and in Midland, ON, community members are working to restore the Hope Island Lighthouse due to its heritage value.

Heritage Canada has created an online petition for anyone interested and wanting to offer support. If you would like to support community lighthouse initiatives, invest in preservation efforts or find out more information, please visit http://www.savecanadaslighthouses.ca/.

The Country Fair, in conjunction with InterPLAY 2011, is looking for judges for any of the following categories. Experience in the related categories is necessary, preferably in a teaching or judging capacity. Post secondary education in those categories would be preferable but not mandatory. Judging must be completed by Thursday noon August 4 and may commence Wednesday August 3 after 8:00 pm or Thursday August 4 ar 8:00 am. Length of time required is dependent upon the number of entries in each category and the number of judges available. However, two to four hours would probably be sufficient.

Please call Simone McMillan at 780-791-4378 if you can help out in any (or all) of the categories listed below.

I was doing some research earlier this week on Public Art in Canada and I came across this interesting Montreal based initiative. Check it out.

MAKE ART PUBLICMake Art Public’s (MAP) objective is to provide access to creativity emanating from different art fields by developing a distribution network to exhibit an artist’s work and enhance artistic awareness at the same time using public places and spaces. Our strategy and ability is achieved utilizing unused advertising space on billboards containing outdated filler-ads. This presents an enormous contemporary potential to inform, educate and inspire through visual cultural distribution.

Through collaboration with proprietors of urban pedestrian infrastructure, MAP accounts for a significant amount of outdoor advertising through agreements to show artistic images in approximately 15% of all annual vacant advertising space. This initiative will hopefully become one of the largest distribution projects of visual and cultural integration in the country.

An Introduction to MAPMAP was founded in January 2006, in Montreal Quebec, it is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of art and culture in everyday life. We employ methods used by advertising agencies, namely, street level advertising. One of our main goals is to cut-through social barriers in order to create bonds and emphasize commonality amongst differing workforces.

With the financial support of our partners both active and silent, MAP offers artists the opportunity to present their work in a forum that will reach hundreds of thousands of viewers for an extended term and/or in combination with special events, thereby offering artists new avenues for their works within their own urban community.

Advertising plays an important role in promoting Western society’s liberal ideals in through commercial, economic, political and social messaging. It is omnipresent in homes through television, the Internet and radio; it is also omnipresent through outdoor advertising-- particularly advertising oriented street structures such as bus shelters, advertising billboards... All of which creates interest by their availability to users, since they are directly employed on main, frequently used, thoroughfares.

Universality and DevelopmentThe presence and availability of advertising on public roads and in public areas constitutes a universal phenomenon, common to all the great cities in Canada and elsewhere. Consequently the project set-forth by MAP is highly exportable. Plans are already underway for international exchange with cities such as Mexico, Buenos Aires, etc. Europe to come in 2009.
For more info check out the MAP website:http://www.mouvementartpublic.com/makeartpublic/

This past weekend the Municipal Parks Patrol hosted 'Tagapalooza'. It was an event focused on repainting the Borealis Skatepark by local artists.

I had the pleasure of assisting Artists in Residency participant, Lucie Bause, with her mural.

It was a lot of fun, and there were some very talented artists at work. Stop by Borealis park and check out the murals this week if you get a chance. Below is a message from Lucie, if you haven't yet please do check out her blog!

Hello,

Hope you are having a great summer! I am learning to kayak and golf in Ft.McMurray...!

Friday, 22 July 2011

In its 21st year, interPLAY, “Events Wood Buffalo’s signature Street Festival”, will land in a new location with a multitude of premiere additions and perennial favourites. The organization recently celebrated its continued partnership with TransAlta now in its 10thyear as Title Sponsor!

“interPLAY is a street festival at heart, and joining forces with Keyano College on King Street has presented monster opportunities for growth and development,’ said Claude Giroux, Executive Director of Events Wood Buffalo.

The additional space has allowed the event to add some significant new surprises to its bag of offerings which include rubberNsmoke - a stunt bike show that features fun that’s barely legal, Theatre X - an adults only nighttime naughty theatre series, Wood Buffalo Country Fair - joining interPLAY for the first time, and the addition of a second music stage - the Surmount World Stage. “The great thing about interPLAY is that there is truly something for everyone to see and do,” said Giroux. Some of the big numbers include: 18 indoor theatre shows with over 84 performances, 8 world-class street performers in over 64 performances on two different street pitches, and a 60-vendor marketplace in the middle of King Street. “We dare you to see it all.”

To help you see it all, interPLAY organizers have also made it easy. Patrons can buy a passport for $39 and see each and every show in our indoor venues individually priced between $8-$20 each. You can see them all, see your favorites multiple times and do it all for one easy price.

Volunteers and supporters alike are invited to kick start the event at the Community BBQ starting at 5pm on Thursday, August 4th. “This is our chance to show our sincere heartfelt appreciation and recognize their contribution,” said Misty Oakes, Communications and Development Director of Events Wood Buffalo. “We look forward to seeing everyone at the BBQ to help celebrate our organization’s success.”

Events Wood Buffalo is still accepting volunteer applications to join the Shell Volunteer Team for interPLAY 2011. Visit www.eventswoodbuffalo.comfor more details.

The United Way of Fort McMurray will be hosting an Information Session for all Registered Charities regarding our upcoming funding cycle. August 4th, at 5pm at Golden Years Society10111 Main StreetPlease RSVP By July 26th

New location for 2011: King Street & Keyano College! Making room for more fun, fringe and film- check out the interPLAY Film Festival- New in 2011!For more information: visit our website or join us on facebook and TwitterBe Involved: volunteer@eventswoodbuffalo.comGeneral Inquires: info@eventswoodbuffalo.com

Tuesday, 19 July 2011

CBC is celebrating its 75th Anniversary in 2011 and to celebrate they are profiling the rich cultural heritage and diversity in Alberta.

Cultureville is returning for the second year and it could be Wood Buffalo’s turn to win the 2011 CBC Alberta Cultureville Title.

CBC is searching for the most “culturally cool” community or event in Southern Alberta, and the same for the North. The winners receive a great opportunity to highlight their cultural spirit to the province.

The Prize: Winners will be profiled on CBC Radio One programs in Calgary and Edmonton (The Calgary Eyeopener and Edmonton AM), and be featured on a CBC Television special that will broadcast during Alberta Arts Day Celebrations in support of Culture Days in September 2011. And of course, check back here often – for community and event profiles.

Monday, 18 July 2011

Have you ever wondered what goes into becoming an artist, or why artists do what they do? The Artists in Residency (AIR) program, led by the Municipality’s Culture branch, has a great opportunity to discover how four local, and one visiting artist would answer those questions.

Currently, Lucie Bause, Kriza Borromeo, Carli Gaudet, Megan Green and Paul Niemen are the artists participating in the AIR program. They will each be giving a twenty minute Artist Talk. This series is free to the public and begins next Tuesday, July 19 at 7 p.m. in the Recital Theatre, located in the Keyano Visual & Performing Arts Centre. The series will run every Tuesday (with the exception of August 2nd) from July 19 – August 23, 2011 starting at 7p.m.

The AIR program’s purpose is to provide emerging artists a collaborative environment in which they can create works of visual art. This initial residency is focused on contemporary art within the context of Wood Buffalo and Canada. It has been expressed by the local arts community that there are significant difficulties faced by practicing artists in the Region. The AIR program provides its participants with dedicated studio space for three months at with no associated fee, along with other professional development opportunities. In the Frank Lacoix Arena studio the artists have been creating original works and developing the skill set that will be important for them as they develop their careers in a Canadian context. The AIR program will also include a group show at the end of the Residency in August.

The Artist Talk Series will provide the community with the opportunity to get to know these artists, their practices, history, influences and work. The Talks are a great chance for residents to show their support for the arts.

The Mayor's Advisory Council on Youth (MACOY) was created in 1993 to empower and engage youth in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo both actively and inclu­sively to make a significant difference in their community. The purpose of MACOY is to empower youth to become actively engaged citizens who have a voice in decisions that affect them. MACOY members are champions of the community who work to improve the quality of life of all citizens.

Last year, our MACOY group painted a mural in Borealis Park on the Bob Lamb Bandstand. This project not only helped to clean up graffiti in the park, but showcased the talent that our youth artists have! This year, our MACOY group wanted to paint another mural, but decided to put a different twist on the project. They chose to paint their mural on a 40" by 60" canvas in order to be able to display their artwork throughout the Municipality. The mural is a graphic representation of important elements in our Region, as seen by youth.

Stop by MacDonald Island to see the mural on display on the main floor in the central concourse.

Thursday, 14 July 2011

Each of the five artists in the AIR program will be giving a twenty minute Artist's Talk over the summer. During their talk the artists will discuss their history, practice and works. After each Talk there will be time for a question and answer period.

Please join us for this free public event and get to know each of the AIR artists during their individual Artist's Talk.

Wednesday, 13 July 2011

Below are the invitation and registration form for the Get up and Go Wood Buffalo event.

Registration for September’s Get up and Go Wood Buffalo event will begin on July 19 presented by MacDonald Island Park in partnership with Syncrude Canada. The event will take place at the Suncor Community Leisure Centre at MacDonald Island Park, and will showcase the service groups, recreation and leisure clubs and volunteer opportunities available within the Wood Buffalo Region.

"The first Get up and Go Wood Buffalo event was held this past April and was such a huge success that we’ve decided to make it an annual event taking place every fall,” said Michele Taylor, Director of Programs and Services at MacDonald Island Park Corporation. “Recreation agencies and service clubs are invited to register to showcase what they can offer our residents.”

Get up and Go Wood Buffalo hopes to promote the importance of community involvement and volunteerism. April’s Get up and Go event brought more than 1,000 residents to the free, trade show style event featuring more than 60 user groups. This year’s event will be held on September 18 from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. at the Suncor Community Leisure Centre.

Registration forms are available online through www.macdonaldisland.ca or can be picked up at Guest Services in the Suncor Community Leisure Centre. Booths are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis for a fee of $25 which includes a networking breakfast prior to the event.

Monday, 11 July 2011

If you haven't had a chance to yet, please do head by MacDonald Island and stop into the Community Art Gallery on the second floor. The gallery opened its current exhibit last Thursday evening. The show features to photographers who share a passion for landscapes.

The curatorial choice to hang each artists body of work hung separately gives the feeling that the viewer is in fact seeing to different shows in landscape driven gallery, rather than a group show with a unifying theme or message. The first half of the gallery features the ultra detailed almost too descriptive works from Frank Hollahan "Frank's photography focuses most of his work on his life's passion of the land and sea of Newfoundland Labrador. In his collection are works inspired by the natural rugged beauty the island offers and other pieces of art that caught his eye"( http://afrankvernoncollection.com/).

The latter section of the gallery showcased Bill Martin's works. Martin's pieces presented landscapes from British Columbia, local areas within Wood Buffalo as well as the tropics and the prairies. These works captured distinct moments that Martin generously describes in his didactic tags. The fact that Martin is "driven by a sense of adventure and the thrill of seeing the landscape from new perspectives" (http://www.billmartinphoto.com/) is evident in the dichotomy of drama and intimacy that is presented in each of his works. Although he captures these grand moments of nature that stand on their own as wonders of nature, they works still feel somehow precious and inquisitive. I could spend a lot of time with these works discovering those new perspectives like layers.

The gallery also debuted an updated lighting system for the space, this atmospheric shift added to the dynamism of the show. Another great showing! Well done Community Art Gallery.

Friday, 8 July 2011

The Arts and Craft Guild will be presenting an art walk event this July. The Walk will be held out side the Fort McMurray Tourism on 400 Sakitawaw Trail. Last year there was around 10 artists on display at the Art Walk, this year artists will be presenting painting demonstrations.

So stop by the Fort McMurray Tourism office on July 16th from 10-4:30 . To see some of your local artists in action.

Thursday, 7 July 2011

‘This is the most amazing night of my life in Fort McMurray,’ squealed a young boy as he danced to his heart’s content. Another bearded man in his 60s danced to a folk tune. Some young girls in psychedelic colours and saree-clad women joined the fold gyrating to the rhythm of the beat. The air was electric with excitement and spectators dwindled as the numbers on the dance floor grew in a frenzy of colour and decibels.

The gathering was incredible. People from all walks of life danced till the wee hours of the morning. McIsland was impeccable in its food quality and service standards. South Asians and Canadians in their gorgeous finery revelled in the entertainment without distinction.

“The entertainment was amazing! The selection of musicians, singers and dancers was wonderful, such a talented group of artists. The meal was delicious, a great opportunity to taste cultural foods - a fantastic array of food choices, something for everyone to enjoy. It was truly a memorable and enjoyable cultural experience. Many thanks to the organizers for providing such a great night of South Asian hospitality, I look forward to the 2011 event!" said Kimberly Timmons, Public Education & Awareness Coordinator, Fort McMurray Victim Services.

That was the reception the South Asian Canadian Summer Music Fest, the first of its kind, last July got from fans of South Asian culture resident in Fort McMurray. Centred around Canada Day, it purports to be a showcase and a beginning of many ventures that will uplift and add colour to the culture scene of Fort McMurray.

Behind the scene are two very self-effacing gentlemen, Paul McWilliams, Director of Advancement for McIsland and Zafar Iqbal, founder of the South Asian Art and Culture Association of Alberta, both very critical and familiar faces on the culture scene in Fort McMurray. Paul is excited about the event and says, “We are honoured to be part of this celebration that reflects the multicultural diversity of the community.”

Zafar adds,”My vision is to promote an inclusive community where every part feels connected in body and spirit.”

Thus once again on the 9th July 2011 to our city comes the 2nd South Asian Canadian Summer Music Fest with renewed fervour, glitz and style to entertain and pleasure the senses. All who are ready to give in, grab your tickets. This event is brought to you in part by Fido and Cellcom Wireless, Rogers’ authorised dealer in Peter Pond Mall.-- Mary ThomasFort Mcmurray

Events Wood Buffalo (EWB) will begin the selection process for a new Executive Director after accepting the resignation of Claude Giroux, effective at the conclusion of the SummersEND Festival in September. Mr. Giroux has accepted the position of Executive Director of the Kay Meek Centre http://www.kaymeekcentre.com/ in West Vancouver.

"This was an opportunity of a lifetime for me," said Giroux. "It has always been our goal to end up on the West Coast. It's where I grew up and it's closer to family. Opportunities like the one offered by the Kay Meek Centre don't come along very often and despite the affinity I feel for Wood Buffalo and the staff, board and volunteers of this organization, it was in the best interests of my family to make the difficult decision to accept this new challenge."

Giroux assumed the leadership of EWB shortly after its formation in 2009 and has successfully grown the organization in terms of its staff, operations and regional impact.

"It is incredibly hard to leave," said Giroux. "I have enormous love and respect for the people I get to work with each day and the unparalleled opportunities that come with being in the most dynamic region of the country. The staff and organization are well-positioned to embrace the excitement of what lies ahead."

The impact of Mr. Giroux on EWB has been substantive, according to President Greg Butters.

"Not only has Claude grown the organization beyond anything that we could have hoped, he has also successfully shepherded the move of our signature event, interPLAY, to its new location at King Street and Keyano College. He has developed collaborative partnerships with organizations like MacDonald Island Park, Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Keyano College and many others that put us in a strong position moving forward. The unparalleled success of the recent KISS concert and CanadaROCKS activities are really only the tip of the iceberg in terms of what Claude's passion and vision has done for our region."

The Board of Directors of EWB will be striking an executive search committee that will be charged with selecting a new Executive Director.

Tuesday, 5 July 2011

I love Fort McMurray and even more I love to capture the beauty of our city on canvas using oil paints. You may have seen me around town as I enjoy going to the market places to share my work with you. I have made a book with a collection of my paintings.

My Current BookI am looking for help from residents for my next book. I would like to fill a book similar to this one with quotes from you about the things you like about Fort McMurray. This next book will have paintings in it, descriptions of the locations in the paintings and quotes from you.

Please let me know what you love the most about living in Fort McMurray.

Monday, 4 July 2011

I hope you all had a safe and relaxing Canada Day, long weekend. I was fortunate to attend the KISS concert and had a blast. I have an update on one of our Artists In Residency particpants - Lucie Bause. Lucie hails from Canmore and has been in Fort McMurray for just one week. She has a great personal blog that I thought I would share with you. Check it out and gain a little insight into the practice of one of our AIR participants. Also, stop by the Frank Lacoix arena on Sunday's between 2:00pm - 6:00pm weekly to meet the artists in person.

For more info on the program check out the municipal program site by clicking HERE.

A message from Lucie:Happy Summer!Hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful Canada Day long weekend!